Five festive fish to eat this Christmas
2 minute read
The Christmas tree doesn’t have to be the only thing that’s green in your household this Christmas.
As well as ditching the plastic straw with your Christmas cocktail, or using recycled paper to wrap presents, choosing sustainably sourced seafood, if you eat fish, can make for an ocean-conscious Christmas. Here are five festive fish that are green-rated on the Good Fish Guide to add to your menu.
Farmed oysters
Most farmed shellfish is a sustainable choice. UK-grown oysters and mussels both fit the bill. Unlike farmed fish, they don’t need any feed, and they actively clean the water they’re grown in, with a single mussel filtering 10 litres of water a day. If you eat seafood, they’re one of the most guilt-free animal proteins.
A bowl of cooked mussels with bacon, cider and cream
Creel-caught langoustines
Langoustines are another great choice. We export most of these live to Europe, where they grace fine dining establishments across the continent. Here in the UK, we know them better as scampi. There’s a crucial difference though: scampi are almost always caught using trawlers and many of these fisheries score poorly on the Good Fish Guide.
Creel-caught langoustines, however, are a great choice. There’s much less impact on the seabed and the prawns will be in much better condition. Check with your fishmonger how the langoustines or scampi were caught before buying.
Hand-dived or farmed scallops
A bowl of hand-dived cooked scallops
Credit: Evie Martin
Dover sole
We’ve seen great improvements to some Dover sole stocks in recent years and many sources are green-rated on the Good Fish Guide. This is another species that's normally shipped to our fish-loving European cousins - and for good reason.
Chargrilled Dover Sole with Spiced Butter
Credit: David Griffen
Ask your fishmonger to skin and trim it for you and make sure you know where and how it’s been caught. And if you're feeling confident, learn how to cook a flat fish with our instructions.
Organic farmed salmon or farmed trout
If you’re looking for the most sustainable smoked salmon this Christmas, we’d suggest organic farmed salmon. Organic standards mean that farms have to adhere to strict rules on stocking densities, as well as chemicals and medicines. Their feed is comprised of off-cuts rather than wild fish.
Baked Rainbow Trout with Lemon, Black Pepper and Garlic
Credit: https://juliasalbum.com/baked-rainbow-trout-with-lemon-pepper-and-garlic/
Be sure to check out our Good Fish Guide for more sustainable seafood choices you can enjoy this holiday season, and year-round.
